Revision Lesson 1, 08-11-2021

Question: Outline, in a 250-300 Word Essay, the TWO most important Economic, Cultural and Political Impacts that the USA has had upon the Caribbean up to 1985.  For each of the two chosen, Explain how they impacted the Caribbean, using examples.

Economic, Cultural and Political Effects of the
United States’ Imperialism in the English- speaking
Caribbean up to 1985
Economic Effects

The United States involvement in the British Caribbean after 1939 had a
direct effect upon the economy of the region.

 The naval bases provided employment for thousands of people which
helped to boost the local economies due to the influx of United States’
dollars.

 The U.S. built military airports in Antigua and St. Lucia and later
handed them over to the governments of these islands. These have
proved to be useful infrastructure that would greatly enhance the
islands’ links with international centres.

 United States’ investments in developing Trinidadian oil, Jamaican and
Guyanese bauxite created employment for local people and provided
revenue for the government.

 After 1945, the governments of several British Caribbean territories
including Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados began to offer incentives
like ‘’tax holidays’’, lower tariffs or customs duties on machinery and
raw material to attract foreign, mostly United States’ investments to
the territories. By the 1960s, 800 registered manufacturing businesses
were established in Jamaica, with a similar pattern in other territories.
These were mainly light industries and even though they were not
labour intensive, they provided jobs in both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing
occupations such as selling, distribution, repairs and
maintenance. They also helped the countries’ balance of payment.

 Caribbean governments seized an important share of the international
tourist industry by offering hotel builders the same types of incentives
as manufacturers. The British Caribbean’s share of the American
tourist market grew after Castro’s revolution in Cuba. Tourism created
a number of jobs in construction, shops, handicrafts, service trade and
direct employment in the resorts. Tourists contributed significantly to
the foreign exchange earnings of many of the islands through
expenditure on gifts, food, and accommodation.

 The United States was the most important trading partner for the
British Caribbean territories by the 1970s. For example, by 1970, the
U.S. was taking 53% of Jamaica’s exports, and contributed 43% of her
imports. In 1977, Jamaica and Guyana combined, supplied 65% of the
United States’ bauxite imports, while 60% of Trinidad’s petroleum went
to the United States. In 1974, all of the British Caribbean territories
except Barbados, imported between 77% and 92% of their grain
products from the U.S.

 After the Cuban revolution, American financial aid, which was provided
in an attempt to achieve economic development, so as to prevent
communism, gave the British territories some worthwhile infrastructure
such as roads, airports, harbours, schools, and housing.

 The United States Immigration Act of 1965 granted independent
Caribbean nations non- quota status, which allowed West Indians from
British ex-colonies to move freely to the U.S. Over 200, 000 West
Indians emigrated to the U.S. from 1967-1976. Emigration released the
population pressure on the territories’ economies, and the remittances
sent to relatives raised standards of living and provided foreign
exchange for economies.

 On the negative side, emigration results in a ‘’brain drain’’, thus
depriving the region of skills necessary for sustainable development. In
addition, much of the investments in tourism, bauxite, oil, light
manufacturing industries came from the U.S., and so a high
percentage of the earnings were returned to the shareholders instead
of being reinvested in the territories.

Cultural Effects
Due to the interaction of trade, travel and other forms of contact, the U.S.
had been able to exercise a strong influence on the culture of the British
Caribbean throughout the 20th century. People who had extra money to
spend traveling for leisure, educational advancement and employment. As a
result of travel, people became directly exposed to the United States’
culture. They acquired a taste for the popular foods, they liked the clothes,
hairstyles, music, and even the slang.
Radio has been a prime medium for spreading American culture to the
Caribbean via its music such as country and western, jazz, rock and roll, jive,
and gospel. After World War II, musical instruments like the electric guitar,
saxophone, gramophone, and jukeboxes were introduced from North
America. In addition, the British Caribbean islands were bombarded with
religious programmes from North America which have helped to erode some
of the traditional religious practices of the region. Radios have also helped to
popularize the recording industry and this helped to spread North American
music and dance.
Films played a significant role in spreading American culture to the British
Caribbean throughout the 20th century. Most of the entertainment available
in cinemas was imported from the U.S. and so Caribbean people were
exposed to movies depicting American social, political, religious, and moral
values. The prevalence of televisions during the 1970s, and the subsequent
introduction of the videocassette recorder (VCR), brought the movie house
into the living rooms of the region and enhanced the American cultural
impact on the Caribbean people.

Magazines and other kinds of publications have also played a part in
exposing British Caribbean people to the U.S. culture. Since the 1960s, for
example, thousands of used American textbooks and novels were sent as
gifts to Jamaica for use in schools and libraries. Textbooks provided
information on political and religious issues and influenced the attitude of
people on issues like communism. News and opinions in magazines had a
similar effect. Magazines also popularized the latest fashion in clothes and
hairstyles which were useful to seamstresses and hairdressers, as well as
drinks, food, architecture, and different forms of entertainment.
Recreational activities of various forms such as games like dominoes,
monopoly, chess, checkers, draughts, and the use of dice and dolls infiltrated
the Caribbean region. Also, the popular game of basketball, rounders,
softball, and boxing were adopted from the U.S. The drinking of beer, sodas,
fast foods like chicken and chips, hotdogs, and hamburgers were all
imported from North America.
Fashions of all kinds were also imported. During the early half of century, it
was customary for Caribbean men to wear hats particularly Panama hats
which were an American fashion adopted in the Caribbean. Similarly, denim
jeans for both men and women, sneakers, bobby socks, etc., were all
imported from North America.
By the second half of the 20th century, the adaptation of American cultural
imports dominated the British Caribbean culture.

Political Effects
 Military occupation of Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic resulted
in stable democracy for some time afterwards. However, democracy
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and stable government did not last long. There is still unrest to this
day.
 Policies were put in place to put the Caribbean a main priority of the
Americans. The following are some of these policies; The Monroe
Doctrine, The Roosevelt Corollary, The Good Neighbour Policy, and the
Alliance for Progress.
 The presence of the U.S. has helped promote the spread of democracy
in the Caribbean especially by opposing the laws set by rulers who
took power by illegal means. In other words, the U.S. Presence
prevented the creation of authoritarian and militaristic leaders and
groups. In the Dominican Republic for instance, all senior officials were
removed and replaced by U.S. military officers.
 By the 1980s, the U.S. opposition to communism and its demonstrated
willingness to use force kept the USSR from getting control of the
Caribbean.